


Diminished

by Love_U



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Angst, Drabble, Drama, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-11
Updated: 2015-04-11
Packaged: 2018-03-22 08:31:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3722149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Love_U/pseuds/Love_U
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every day Kaneki would take the same path home, and he would always pass by a deserted park. There, he would see the tragic and lonely blond boy who everyone nicknamed as the sun who lost its shine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Diminished

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I should update my other story, but I couldn't get this out of my head. OTL

There was once a ten year old student whose smile could light up an entire room. Everyone admired him and they all called him 'Hide'. He was full of life, and carefree as well as vivacious were the first two words that would come to mind upon meeting him. The boy had blond hair, the color of the sun, and he wore such bright clothing that he was impossible to not be noticed. He was more intelligent and observant than most, a skill passed on from his father, who worked as a police officer, to him. Hide was every teacher's favorite student.

Kaneki longed to be his friend, longed to bask in the warmth that the sun offered. But he and Hide were polar opposites. They were classmates, and while Hide was the life of the party, Kaneki was the boy who blended with the shadows. They were worlds apart, and Hide was too busy laughing and joking with his friends- with everyone else to take notice of the silent boy in the corner. After all, the brighter the sun, the darker the shadows.

It didn't bother Kaneki that much. Because even though he couldn't enjoy the sun up close, he could still admire its divine beauty from afar. Hide shined so much that no one in the room was left alone, and that was enough for Kaneki.

* * *

Hide was eleven when life decided that he was having too much fun.

Kaneki was surprised to see him come to school one day, after a weeks absence, wearing black instead of orange and a frown rather than a smile. It was unsettling. It bothered everybody because Hide was supposed to be happy. No one could ask him what happened because what greeted them was a scowl and a dark look in his eyes. He was the sun. He was supposed to burn brighter than all of them combined, but... The sun lost its shine. It was funny because people had the tendency to forget that the sun was just another star, and that stars could burn out and die.

Later on, Kaneki heard from his aunt talking on the phone that after Mr. Nagachika died in action, Mrs. Nagachika snapped and tried to strangle her son to death. A neighbor heard the screams and rushed in to help. Hide had been hospitalized for days, and his mom was never arrested because she bit her tongue in desperation.

* * *

Every day Kaneki would take the same way home, and every day he would see the tragic blond boy who he wanted to talk to but never had the courage to approach.

It was quite ironic, Kaneki thought during one rainy day as he stared at the blond from afar, because back then Kaneki thought that Hide - with his warm brown eyes, shock of blond hair and bright smile would save him. He thought that Hide could fight his demons for him. Kaneki never thought- never even considered the idea that  _he_  could be the one to save Hide. Truly, it was impossible, because Hide didn't need saving back then.

Kaneki watched under his yellow umbrella as Hide continued to let the rain soak him and sat there as if he wasn't freezing cold. Kaneki gripped his umbrella a little tighter.

He supposed that they were somewhat alike. Both of them lost their parents. Although Kaneki never really knew his father so it honestly didn't affect him as much as it should have, and his mom was never really there for him so he had gotten used to feeling alone. But Hide... Hide was pampered and loved. And when he lost his father, his rock, he turned to his mother for help... for comfort. And instead of helping him, she tried to kill him instead.

Who could Hide trust when even his own mother tried to kill him? It was the final realization that propelled Kaneki forward. And with each step he took, he grew more confident. The moth had finally approached the dying flame.

"You'll get a cold if you stay under here for too long," Kaneki commented casually while he held up the umbrella to shield Hide too. Brown eyes filled with shock snapped up to meet his. Kaneki forced what he hoped was a reassuring smile on his face.

Hide stared at him and then lowered his gaze to the floor.

"I'm Kaneki Ken, you probably don't know me." Hide barely reacted, and Kaneki could only wish that he hadn't heard the quiver in his voice. "But we're classmates, you and I. I sit at the back of the room. You... you wouldn't notice someone like me."

"I know you," Hide told him softly, voice almost lost in the pounding rain. He looked up again only to blink in surprise when he was greeted with the happiest grin he received since... that. Ever since the 'accident' people had been careful with Hide. They all looked at him as if he was a glass that was about to break, their smiles so fake that he couldn't help but hate them for it. It was stupid. But this boy... Kaneki truly looked happy _just because_ he knew him. 

It was refreshing.

Hide's lips quirked at the side. And Kaneki almost couldn't stop himself from gaping. His classmates were wrong. Hide didn't lose his shine. It was still there, hidden beneath layers of pain, loneliness and anger, but  _it was there_.

They were wrong.

The sun didn't lose its shine... it just sort of diminished.

And, Kaneki thought as he threw his towel at Hide's hair for the other boy to use it to dry off, it should be a simple matter to light it up again. And this time, it would burn brighter than ever.


End file.
